Drive mechanism for carton blank forming press



P. ZERNOV May 28, 1968 DRIVE MECHANISM FOR CARTON BLANK FORMING PRESS Filed NOV. 25, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN TOR. per/5e ZEe/vo/ BY Z ATTOZNEY y 8, 1968 P. ZERNQV' 3,385,178

DRIVE MECHANISM FOR CARTON BLANK FORMING PRESS Filed Nov. 25, 1966 4 Sheets-Shet z IN VEN TOR. Fens-e. ZEENO P. ZERNOV May 28, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 25, 1966 Y \\\\\\\\=Y\\\\ u mw M WM W m M Z r H? A m W m p um. g

, .i q N .3.

P. ZERNOV May 28, 1968 DRIVE MECHANISM FOR CARTON BLANK FORMING PRESS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4' Filed Nov. 23, 1966 INVENTOR. er-E2 ZE/PA/O/ ATTOE/VE'Y United States Patent 0.

3,385,178 new]; MECHANISM FOR CARTON BLANK FORMING PRESS Peter Zernov, Menomonee Falls, WiS., assignor to Zerand Corporation, Menomonee Falls, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Nov. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 596,478 Claims. (Cl. 93-583) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Background of the invention The present invention is in the nature of an improvement over the drive mechanism shown in my US. Patent 3,169,456, issued February 16, 1965, entitled Drive Mechanism For Carton Forming Press, and in which the lower intermittent feed roll IF was not positively driven, but instead depended on the Web to bring it back up to speed after the intermittent feed rolls had been open and they were again closed. That is to say, after the web loop L had been used up, and these intermittent feed rolls were again closed for further feeding, under some circumstances, due to the inertia effects of the undriven lower intermittent feed roll IF, the latter was not sufiiciently quickly brought up to the speed of the positively driven upper intermittent feed roll IFU and the web W. The result was excessive slipping of the intermittent feed rolls relative to the web, improper pull up of the loop and misregistry, particularly at high impression speeds.

Summary of the invention Accordingly, the present invention provides a drive mechanism which overcomes the above difficulty. More specifically, the present invention provides a positive drive for the lower intermittent feed roll which accelerates it and brings it back to synchronization with the upper intermittent feed roll, the web and the speed of the continually feeding metering rolls.

These and other objects and advantages will appear later as this disclosure progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, taken from the operators side, of a carton blank press made in accordance with the present invention, certain parts being shown as broken away, removed, or in section;

FIGURE 2 is a schematic and spread out view of the drive means between the various parts; FIGURE 2a is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the drive shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of part of the press shown in FIGURE 1, but on an enlarged scale, and showing, inter alia, the mechanical connection between the common cam shaft and the brake bar;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse and vertical sectional view taken generally along the line 4--4 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is another longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the press shown in FIGURE 1, but on an enlarged scale, and showing, inter alia, the actuating mechanism between the common cam shaft and intermittent feed rolls;

"ice

FIGURE 6 is an elevational view, partially in section and taken generally along the line 6-6 in FIGURE 5.

GENERAL Before a detailed explanation of the mechanism is commenced, a statement as to the very general organization may be helpful. The web W passes through the cutter and creaser press P in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIGURE 1. The web comes from preliminary equipment (not shown), such as a decurl unit, hot melt applicator or other mechanism. As the web enters the press, it passes through the metering feed rolls F and FU, only the roll F being positively driven. These rolls are continuously active to feed the web at a precise and constant rate.

The web next passes through a pair of brake bars BB and BBU, the lower bar BB being vertically reciprocal for intermittent clamping engagement with the fixed upper bar BBU to thereby alternately stop the web when the cutting and creasing of the web occurs, and then release the web for another length of feed by the intermittently acting feed rolls IF and IFU.

The lower feed roll IF is mounted for swinging into and out of nipping engagement with the upper roll IFU. This upper roll is positively driven, and in accordance with the present invention, the lower roll is also positively driven, and as a result, a very accurate feed is provided, as will appear.

A loop L (FIG. 3) in the web is formed, during each operation of the press, between the continuously acting feed rolls and the brake bar, as when the brake bar is holding the web.

As they leave the press, the blanks are engaged by the stripper nip rolls SR (FIG. 1) for conveyance by the stripper unit SU.

PRESS IN GENERAL Referring in greater detail to FIGURE 1, the base frame structure 10 supports the upper, fixed platen 11 on the four vertical corner supports 12 and the lower platen 13 which is vertically reciprocal on these vertical supports. One of the platens carries the cutting and creasing dies While the other carries a base plate, these parts being referred to by numeral 14 and 15, and held in place by brackets 18.

The vertically movable platen 13 is reciprocated by two pairs of eccentrically driven connecting rods and 21 which are journalled at their upper ends on shafts 22 and 23, respectively, carried by the platen 13. The lower ends of these rods are mounted on crankshafts 24 and 25 mounted in the base structure and drivingly connected together by their respective gears 26 and 27. Another gear 27a is fixed to gear 27 and meshes with an idler gear 28 secured to the base structure at the operators side. Pairs of counterweights 2'9 and 29a (FIG. 2) are secured to crankshafts 24 and 25, respectively.

A large pulley 30 is fixed to one end of crankshaft 25 and is driven by multiple belts 31 from an electric motor 32, and shaft 25 constitutes the main drive shaft of the machine.

CAM SHAFT The base structure 10 of the apparatus also rotatably supports a common cam shaft 35 having a gear 36 fixed to its end which meshes with idler gear 28. Means are connected directly with the cam shaft for shifting the brake bar into clamping engagement with the web while the press forms the blank and the intermittent feed rolls are inactive as follows.

BRAKE BAR ACTUATING MEANS A single center ram 38 (FIGURES 3 and 4) is secured to shaft 35 and has a rise 38a of about .045 of an inch for about 90 degrees. This cam is for raising the brake bar BB which is shiftably mounted by a pair of leaf springs 37. More specifically, the cam operates through a rigid push rod 39, which is adjustable in length by its threaded portion 39a. The lower end of the push rod is seated in the free end of a bracket 40 pivoted at 41 and which bracket has a cam follower 42 in engagement with the peripheral edge of the cam 38.

The upper end of the push rod 39 is seated against the underside of the vertically shiftable bar BB to urge it into clamping engagement with the upper, fixed bar BBU. Adjustable spring-strut units 43 act to resiliently bias the lower bar downwardly to the web unclamped position.

INTERMITTENT FEED ROLL ACTUATING MEANS Second means are connected directly to the cam shaft for rendering the intermittent feed rolls inactive while a loop is built up in the web, as follows.

A pair of cams 44 (FIGURES and 6) is also secured at spaced locations on the cam shaft and act through their respective push rods 45 to urge the lower intermittent feed roll IF away from its fixed upper intermittent feed roll IFU. Rods 45 are adjustable in length by means of their threaded sleeves 45a to insure even nipping pressure across the width of the web. The lower ends of rods 45 are seated in their brackets 46 which are pivotally mounted on pins 47 and which carry a cam follower 48 on their free end for engagement by cams 44. Cams 44 have a rise for about one-third of their circumference, the maximum rise of which occurs at the same time in the cycle as does the maximum rise on cam 38.

The movable feed roll IF is mounted on two spaced brackets 49 secured intermediate their length to the ends of pivot shaft 50. The upper ends of the push rods 45 bear against one end of these brackets, and the roll IF is mounted in the other ends.

Air Cylinder units 51 mounted on stationary brackets 51a act on the brackets to bias the roll IF into the feeding position.

Thus, the intermittent action of the brake bar and the intermittent feed rolls IF and IFU are timed with and connected directly to the cam shaft 35.

SELECTOR SWITCH A selector switch S (FIGURES 2 and 6) is connected directly to the cam shaft at the operators side of the machine by means of a coupling 52. In other words, the shaft 35 operates the selector switch which is thereby timed to the cutter creaser press. The selector switch is synchronized with an electric eye scanning head E which scans the preprinted web W and together actuate a correction motor 53 which is connected by an endless fiexible drive chain 54 to a secondary differential gear unit SD. The selector switch gives a signal at a given rotary position of the cam shaft and this signal is compared with another signal which is given by the electric eye scanning head as a mark goes by on the web. If these two signals are in phase, then no correction occurs. If the signals are out of phase, a correction impulse is sent to the correction motor 53 in the direction and in proportion to the amount the signals are out of phase. This control system will be referred to more fully hereinafter.

DRIVE FROM CAM SHAFT As shown clearly in FIGURES 1 and 2, at the other end of the cam shaft 35, a change gear 57 is secured which meshes with another change gear 62 mounted on a shaft 63 extending from the drive side of the machine, that is the side opposite to the operators side. The change gears 57 and 63 are mounted on fixed center, and they can be replaced with other pairs having different ratios, and in this manner the ratio between the feed rolls and the crankshaft if effected. In order to make the ratio between the feed rolls and crankshaft infinitely variable, the gap between any set of change gears is bridged by a variator V, to be described.

Also fixed to shaft 63 is a gear 64 which meshes with an idler gear 65 fixed on shaft 66 at the drive side. Gear 65 feeds a primary planetary differential PD that is mounted on the metering roll shaft 60 of the lower metering roll F. More specifically, idler gear 65 meshes with gear element 70 of the compound gear 71 rotatably mounted on the shaft 60. Compound gear 71 also has a smaller gear element 73 which meshes with the circumferentially spaced planetary gears 75 mounted on the rotatable housing 76 by means of the shafts 77 on the housing. Fixed to the other ends of shaft 77 are gears 75a which mesh with the sun gear 74 that is keyed to shaft 60. Housing 76 is rotatable on the shaft 60 and has a large peripheral ring gear 78.

Gear 78 drives the gear 79 on the correction shaft 80 of the primary differential PD. Shaft 80 is rotatably mounted in its frame (not shown) fixed to the main frame 10, and this primary differential correction shaft drives the entire planetary unit. A timing pulley 84 on the other end of shaft 80 is connected by timing belt 85 to one side of the timing pulley 86 of the secondary differential SD.

The other side of the secondary differential is connected by a timing belt 90 and timing pulley 91 and 92, to one side of the conventional variator V, of the Cleveland type. The other side of the variator V is driven by the metering roll shaft 60 through timing belt 94 and its pulleys 95 and 96.

The correction motor 53 can drive the entire secondary differential by the chain 54. Thus, the selector switch S and electric eye E, through the correction motor 53, secondary differential SD, and variator V, are effective to actuate metering roll. This electric eye E and correction motor 53 provide a correction which is proportional to the error that the electric eye E sees.

Another correction motor 97 feeds the variator V through gears 98 and 98a and 98b. The electric eye E also operates this correction motor. This second correction motor 97 thus corrects the variator ratio and acts to continuously trim the error. For example, for every five corrections, or any other predetermined number of corrections, called for by the correction motor 53, the second correction motor 97 then changes the variator setting and in this manner causes the variator to continuously trim the error and set itself to the exact repeat length of the printing.

The above described control arrangement provides two separate yet combined corrections, namely, one through the electric eye correction motor in to the secondary differential, and the other as a correction setting in the variator ratio which continuously trims the error.

The metering roll shaft 60 is connected to the upper intermittent feed roll IFU for driving the latter, by means of gear 100 fixed to shaft 60, idler gear 101, and gear 102 fixed to the end of the shaft of roll IFU.

In accordance with the present invention, the lower intermittent feed roll IF is positively driven from gear 101a through a constant meshing gear which is fixed on one end of shaft 111, an air actuated slip clutch 112 connected to the other end of shaft 111, and a gear 113 connected to the clutch 112, which gear is in constantly meshing relationship with a gear 114 fixed to the lower roll IF.

The slip clutch 112 includes a cylinder 115 in which the piston 116 slides when chamber 117 is pressurized by air from passage 118, rotary seal 118a and supply conduit 11812. When the chamber is pressurized, the friction surfaces 119 and 120 of the gear 113 and piston 116, respectively, engage to drive the lower roll. The air pressure is adjustable in the known manner to vary the loading of the clutch.

The lower roll IF is rubber covered and the intermittent feeds rolls IF and IFU are driven faster than the metering rolls F and EU. Therefore, when the loop has been taken up by the intermittent feed rolls, no slipping can be tolerated between the lower rubber covered intermittent feed roll IF and the web. The slip clutch 112 is set to prevent this slipping.

Gears 113 and 114 are in constant mesh and the lower roll IF is swung about the center of gear 113 (concentric with shaft 50) between open and closed positions.

RESUME The drive is from the cam shaft and first through the metering rolls and then directly to both intermittently feed rolls to positively drive both of them. The lower intermittent food roll is thus accurately controlled as is the web for all conditions of operation, and registry thereof is assured. Nevertheless, the lower intermittent feed roll can slip after the web loop is used up to prevent damage thereto or feeding inaccuracies thereof.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded in the invention.

1. Carton blank forming apparatus comprising a cutting and creasing press into which a web is fed, a pair of continuously active metering rolls and a pair of intermittent feed rolls for said web, a shiftable brake bar located between said pairs of metering and intermittent feed rolls for intermittently engaging said web, a driven cam shaft, means connected with said cam shaft for shifting said brake bar into clamping engagement with said web to build up a web loop between said pairs of rolls and while said press forms a blank, other means connected with said cam shaft for rendering said intermittent feed rolls inactive while said loop is built up, gear drive mechanism directly from said cam shaft to one of said metering rolls, and gear means tor positively driving both of said intermittent feed rolls from and at a higher speed than said metering roll, said gear means including a slip clutch for one of said intermittent feed rolls.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 further characterized in that said intermittent feed rolls comprise an upper roll and a lower roll, said lower roll is swingably mounted between a feeding position with said upper roll and a nonfeeding position away from said upper roll; said other means includes a thrust connection between said lower roll and said cam shaft for swinging said lower roll; and said slip clutch is arranged to permit said lower roll to slip.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 further characterized in that said gear means includes a first gear which is located on the same axis of swinging of the lower roll, and a second gear which is fixed to said lower roll and swingable therewith, said first and second gears being in constant mesh.

4. Apparatus as set out in claim 3 further characterized in that said first gear is fixed to part of said slip clutch.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 further characterized in that said intermittent feed rolls include a lower feed roll which has a resilient covering.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,169,456 2/1965 Zernov 9358.3

BERNARD STICKNEY, Primary Examiner. 

